Spicy Cranberry Chutney

There can never be too much cranberry sauce at our table. Our family is split over the light sweet cranberry orange version that my mom makes and this deep spicy rich version that pairs amazingly well with the robust flavors of a sage infused turkey.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups fresh cranberries
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup water
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and diced small
1/2 cup celery, diced small
1 cup yellow onion, diced small
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 cup Thompson raisins

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, except the raisins, into a large (3 quart) sauce pan. Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes or until berries pop.

Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes to allow mixture to reduce and thicken.

Remove from heat, stir in the raisins and allow raisins to plump. Serve warm or chilled.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
SERVES: 12-16

Hot Apple Cider with Ginger and Cardamom

A lovely seasonal treat that's delicious with dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lemon
1/4 cup sugar
6 quarter sized pieces of crystallized ginger, coarsely chopped
20 cardamom pods
15 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks, each broken in half
8 cups unfiltered apple cider

DIRECTIONS:

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (yellow part only) in strips from lemon. Heat heavy large pot over medium heat. Add lemon peel, ginger, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer mixture 15 minutes. Strain into mugs and serve.

8 servings / Bon Appetite

Gluten Free Featherlight Biscuits

Ingredients
1 ¾ Cup Authentic Foods Multi-Blend Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
3 tsps Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps sugar
1 tsp salt
6 Tbs cold butter or alternative (like Earth Balance), cut into small pieces
1 cup plain yogurt (or an alternative like soy or coconut yogurt)

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to mix. Mix the cold cut butter in until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the yogurt and gently mix until the dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap and pat to ¾” thickness. Cut the dough into 2 ½” squares or use a biscuit cutter**. Place 1” apart on an ungreased baking pan (or pizza stone) Bake for 15-20 minutes. Makes 6 large biscuits.

**If you don't have a fancy schmanscy biscuit cutter, take a used tin can (like one that holds corn or beans) and remove both the top and bottom. Once you pat out the dough use the can as your cutter, if you can't shake the dough out it can be poked from the other end to drop on the cookie sheet.

Three Berry Pie

This was the pie I made for a summer gathering of family. I didn't quite get it made soon enough for it to set up properly but it was tart and warm and with ice cream scooped on top it was the perfect sweet compliment. I'll definitely be making it again! Of course I've made modifications to be GF/DF/EF...

1 cup granulated sugar (or more if berries are too tart)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups fresh blackberries (3/4 to 1 pound)
2 cups fresh raspberries (1/2 to 3/4 pound)
2 cups fresh blueberries (1/2 to 3/4 pound)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
GF Pie Crust
2 Tablespoons Soy creamer (I use Silk Soy Creamer - French Vanilla
1 Tablespoon Vegenaise

OPTIONAL:
sanding sugar
cinnamon

Special equipment: a 9-inch metal or glass pie plate (4-cup capacity)
Accompaniment: Any alternative milk ice cream like frozen dessert.... rice dream, soy ice cream, etc.

Put a large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, and salt, then toss with berries and lemon zest.

Roll out 1 piece of dough into a 13-inch round and fit into lightly greased pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Chill shell while rolling out dough for top crust.

Roll out remaining piece of dough on lightly floured surface with floured rolling pin into an 11-inch round.

Spoon filling into shell, then cover pie with pastry round and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together, then crimp edge decoratively. Brush top of pie with Veganaise and Creamer mixture (should be smooth and the consistency of heavy cream). Sprinkle all over with sanding sugar and or cinnamon. Cut 3 steam vents in top crust with a small sharp knife.

Bake pie on hot baking sheet in middle of oven 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue to bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, about 45 minutes more.

Cool pie on a rack at least 3 hours before serving to allow juices to thicken slightly (filling will still be juicy). This is the hardest part of this recipe.

Adjusted the following recipe to accommodate my diet
Gourmet | August 2003
Active time: 40 minutes Start to finish: 6 hours(includes making dough and cooling pie)
Yield: Makes 8 servings
Active Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 6 hours
Original recipe at Epicurious.com

Wendy Wark's GF Flour Blend

This is a really wonderful flour mix for general baking...

WENDY WARKS FLOUR MIX

You can buy this mix from The Gluten Free mall or your local retailer. Authentic Foods Multi-blend Gluten Free Flour Mix. I recommend this route as they grind their flours much finer than most, eliminating the gritty texture that is the bane of GF baking. Or you can make your own (which I do, still using Authentic Foods flour for the fine texture but double and triple the amounts if I plan on baking frequently.)

1 cup brown rice flour (requires refrigeration)
1¼ cup white rice flour
¼ cup potato starch flour
2/3 cup tapioca starch flour
¾ cup sweet rice flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum

The following is taken from Celiac.com and is written by Karen Roberts:

I often use only brown rice flour in the mix as it is healthier and better tasting. I buy at least 5 pounds every time I order (from manufacturers that sell a lot of brown rice flour). I keep it refrigerated and highly recommend it over white rice flour. This flour mix is the basis of many of my sweets, breadsticks, tortillas, waffles etc. I also like to use pure buckwheat, amaranth, and quinoa flour to increase the flavor and healthfulness of certain items. It is important to buy these alternative flours from pure, gluten-free sources. Pure in the sense that they are grown in fields that are not adjacent to wheat fields and that they are processed in a 100% gluten-free environment from the field to your table.

Triple this flour mix recipe and keep it on hand for all of your baking needs. Once you have the flour mix together you are ready for about a months worth of gluten-free baking.

The Multi Blend Gluten-Free Flour mix is used cup for cup in recipes such as tortillas, pancakes/waffles, and cookies. If you plan to use this flour mix for cakes, sweet breads or brownies add an additional ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup flour mix. I don’t use this flour mix for bread, pizza crust, breadsticks, etc. as they require specific flour combinations for the best results

Orange Chocolate Bunt Cake

As of right now this recipe is slated to be published in a cook book. I know. I'm mean, teasing you like this with this wonderful picture. Of course you have no idea how mean I really am since it's to die for delicious! Sadly, as official recipe tester, I had to sign a contract stating I would not publish this recipe anywhere. So why am I posting delectable looking pictures of it here? Because *one day* I hope to be able to point you in the direction of the amazing baker who invent it and or share the recipe with you. Yes, that's right, it's a pesky place holder so I don't forget about it. Not that I could. Heh.

Vegan Version of Bob's Red Mill GF Bread Mix

Mix together with a spoon in a small bowl:

5 TBL cornstarch
1 cup water (100* - 110* degrees)
Yeast packet (found in BRM GF bread mix)

When cornstarch is dissolved, pour into large bowl and mix in the following (using spoon or dough hook) in upright mixer:

1 1/8 cups rice milk
1/4 cup vegetable or safflower oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
BRM GF Bread mix

Pour mixture into a bread pan and let rise until dough is just above the top of the pan (about 30-40 minutes). Bake at 350* for one hour, rotating pan once during baking. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Tip: For lighter crust color, cover pan with tin foil or place a cookie sheet (above the bread pan) on a higher shelf in the oven during baking.

Source: flyer handed out at the BRM visitor center. Copied here because I know I'll lose that piece of paper eventually!